Science Center lets Indiana Jones take the lead

Oct. 12, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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A worker puts the final touches on the "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" exhibit near a screen projecting images from the films at the Discovery Science Center. The U.S. show is open from October 12th to April 12th. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Media members check out the "Ark of the Convenant" on display as part of the Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology exhibit at the Discovery Science Center. The U.S. show premiere includes archival film materials, props and actual artifacts from the Penn Museum. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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An interactive hieroglyphic decoding wall is part of the "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" exhibit at the Discovery Science Center. Visitors use a hand-held tablet device to help decode a secret message. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A headpiece seen in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" is on display as part of the "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" exhibit at the Discovery Science Center. The show takes visitors to 11 world-wide sites from Indy's adventures. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A 'Crystal Skull' from "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is on display as part of the "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" exhibit at the Discovery Science Center. The show takes visitors to 11 world-wide sites from Indy's adventures. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Mutt's Harley-Davidson motorcycle from "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is on display as part of the "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" exhibit at the Discovery Science Center. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The "Holy Grail" from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" is on display as part of the "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" exhibit at the Discovery Science Center. The show features props from the entire Indiana Jones movie series. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Pictured is a prop of the legendary Ark of the Covenant, which once carried the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. The ark was believed to contain enough supernatural power to level mountains. It appeared in the 1981 film, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and is on view at the Discovery Science Center, Oct. 12-April 21. COURTESY OF LUCASFILM ARCHIVES

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A replica of the Holy Grail, used as a prop in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." This chalice will be on view during "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology," on view Oct. 12-April 21 at the Discovery Science Center. COURTESY OF LUCASFILM LTD. AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER

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Pictured is a likeness of a Chachapoyan fertility idol, which was featured in an early scene of "Radiers of the Lost Ark" in 1981. "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" runs Oct. 12-April 21 at the Discovery Science Center. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER

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A prop that's meant to resemble Francisco de Orellana's death mask. It was featured in "Indiana Jones nad the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, " and it will be on view at the Discovery Science Center, Oct. 12-April 21. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER

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A papyrus fragment with hieroglyphics, 1279-1213 B.C., will be on view at the Discovery Science Center during its exhibit, "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology." This fragment is in the collection of the Penn Museum in Philadelphia. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER

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Pictured are props that look like Sankara Stones from the movie, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." They'll be on view at the Discovery Science Center, Oct. 12-April 21. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER

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A display from the exhibition, "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology," which makes its U.S. premiere at the Discovery Science Center, Oct. 12-April 21. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER

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An emobossed gold plaque from Panama, Sitio Conte, AD 500-900, on loan from the Penn Museum, Philadelphia. This artifact is part of "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" at the Discovery Science Center, Oct. 12-April 21. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER

A worker puts the final touches on the "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" exhibit near a screen projecting images from the films at the Discovery Science Center. The U.S. show is open from October 12th to April 12th. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

â€˜Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeologyâ€™

Remember when Indiana Jones worked as a bespectacled professor by day and discovered priceless artifacts during his free time?

The Discovery Science Center remembers that time. And through a new multimedia exhibition, the Science Center is hoping to rekindle memories for folks who loved the movies, as well as introduce the Jones character and field of archaeology to a new generation of kids.

"Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" is a new, interactive exhibit that features famous movie props such as the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, video clips from the four Indiana Jones movies, original costumes and scene illustrations, photographs and genuine artifacts on loan from the Penn Museum in Philadelphia. The exhibit – organized by Lucasfilm Ltd., the National Geographic Society and Montreal's X3 Productions – makes its U.S. premiere this weekend at the Discovery Science Center and runs through April 21.

"It's a coup for Orange County," said Joe Adams, president of the Discovery Science Center. "This exhibit takes the fun character of Indiana Jones to tell a story, but it's also very scientific."

The exhibit opens with an interactive play area for children, the actual leather jacket, brown Fedora and whip from "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," and an audio welcome by actor Harrison Ford.

One thing that makes this show unique is a hand-held audio device that features a video touch-screen as well. Visitors can listen to explanations of objects, watch behind-the-scenes videos and play an interactive game that makes the 10,000-square-foot exhibition space a kind of treasure-hunt maze.

Objects that will strike a chord with Indy fans include the golden replica of a Chachapoyan fertility idol that was in the opening of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"; a gold-dipped, intricately decorated box that's meant to resemble the mythical Ark of the Covenant; a crystal skull; and the legendary Holy Grail, which was the object of desire in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

"It all goes back to the well, if you will," said Kyra Bowling, exhibits manager for Lucasfilm Ltd. and Lucas Licensing. "Obviously none of us would be here without George (Lucas) and his vision in creating these amazing characters and this amazing property. Thankfully, he's a wonderful advocate for our exhibit program. Education has always been important for him."

Not to mention, last year was the 30th anniversary of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and all four movies have just been released on Blu-ray.

The props and replica artifacts are interspersed with costumes, storyboards, original drawings, posters, and videos, with numbers that correspond with programs on the hand-held audio-visual device.

"Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" also features rare artifacts on loan from the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, also known as the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Highlights include a shimmering embossed gold plaque (500-900 A.D.) from Panama; a gold leaf wreath made of leaf-shaped pendants, lapis lazuli beads and carnelian rings (about 2500 B.C.) from the Royal Cemetery of Ur; a funerary stela (1938-1759 B.C.) from Egypt; and a papyrus fragment from the Book of the Dead (1279-1213 B.C.) from ancient Thebes, Egypt.

A collection of bowls and pottery (1-700 A.D.) from the Nasca culture, Peru are also on view. A couple of galleries spotlight National Geographic-sponsored finds and photographs from Machu Picchu, Peru; Tepe Hissar, Iran; and Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

"Without a doubt, we've been highlighting really important sites from the past," said Fredrik Hiebert, an archaeology fellow for the National Geographic Society and a former professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "I think it's great that you can go into a museum in Santa Ana to see all this, when normally, you'd have to go to Philadelphia, London or Baghdad to see this stuff."

Hiebert, who some call a "real-life Indiana Jones," served as a curator for the objects on view from the Penn Museum. "One of the things we're trying to stress in this exhibition is the terms 'value' and 'treasure' have a lot of different meanings. In Ur, they're related to beauty and fashion. In the New World, these were all about power."

Hiebert helped organize this Indiana Jones exhibit into four thematic zones: the quest, the discovery, the investigation and the interpretation. (It's also arranged chronologically, from the first movie to the last.)

He says Indiana Jones, while a fictional character, has been one of the best things to happen to the study of archaeology.

"I taught intro to archaeology and asked my students if they signed up to take this course because they saw Indiana Jones' films," he said. "Three-quarters of the students raised their hands. The films inspired so many people to get into it."

The exhibition ends with a section on Orange County and artifacts found at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

"In our own community in Orange County, there's more adventures and stories that are happening, and are being uncovered through archaeology," Adams said. "You don't have to go to these exotic lands to do it."

The "Indiana Jones" exhibit is part of the Discovery Science Center's effort to reach out to new audiences, as well as signal to the community that the venue is ready to grow. Last week, the center announced a $62 million expansion project that would add 80,000 square feet in the next several years.

But fundamentally, this show intends to engage young minds and encourage them to explore.

"We've got to instill people with the idea that there's a lot to learn about our world out there," Hiebert said. "Sometimes you get the impression with the iPhone and television and the Internet that we've solved all the mysteries. That's not so. We've got a lot more to discover."

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